Slack adjuster



w. H. SAUVAG E SLACK ADJUSTER Original Filed June 27, 1919 wuelwtoz ne rPatented Jan. 1925.

F F 1 CE WILLIAM H. SAUV'AGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MES-NEASSIGNMENTS,

TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, OF YORK, N, Y

SLACK ADJUSTER.

Refiling ofabandoned application Serial No. 307,124, filedlfunc 27,1919. This application filed April 18.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Slack Adjusters, of whichthe following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to slack adjusters for railway brake systems andmore particularly to what is known as automatic slack adjustersespecially designed for taking up the excess slack in the brake riggingof railway vehicles.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide anautomatically operated slack adjuster of a simple and practical designparticularly adapted for use in connec tion with the foundation brakerigging of cars although with slight modification, various features areapplicable to slack adjusters in other locations as well.

Another object is to provide a slack adjuster of the above general typeadapted automatically to take up and hold all of the slack on excesstravel of the brake rigging during a single application of the brakes,in contradistinction to devices now in use in which the'slack is onlypartially taken up on application or is taken up on release of thebrakes.

A further object is to provide a slack adjuster having relatively fewparts which may be inexpensively manufactured and as sembled yet bereliable and efficient in use and operation.

A further object is to provide an improved slack adjuster of the lastabove mentioned type adapted to insure uniform piston travel at alltimes and to take up and hold the entire excess slack of. the brakerigging on or during a single application of the brakes.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings andinpart indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis ofthe invention.

'Thisinvention accordingly consists in the features (if construction,combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and inthe relative proportioning and disposition thereof, all as more.completely outlined herein.

Drawings depicting one of several de- Serial No. 555 223 sired formshave been annexedas a part of this disclosure, and my such drawings likecharacters of reference denotecorresponding parts throughout all of theviews,

of which Flgure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic plan vlew of such parts of thefoundation brake rigging, with the invention applied thereto,

as may be necessary to fully understand the same; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail. view, partly in section, showing theslack adjuster.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly toFigure 1. 5 denotes the main cylinder of the foundation brake riggingusually mounted beneath the floorof the car and havlng an air rcservon'b. a triple valve 7 and an inlet or supply pipe 8. This cylinder 5 isprovided with a piston 10, piston rod 11 connected to one end of a livelever 12, the opposite end of which lever is provided with. a pull rod18 leading to the brake riggingmounted on the truck. A chain 14connected at one end to red 11 is adapted to be connected to he handbrake mechanism at its other end. The central part of the live lever isconnected by means of a rod or link 15 with the central part of a deadlever 16. One end of this lever 16 connectswith a pull rod 17 leading tothe brake rigging mount ed on the truck at the oppositeend of the carwhile the opposite end of the dead lever is mounted in a recess portion18 in a movable rod 20 as shown more clearly in Figure 2.

It will,'of course, be understood that the mechanism above describedwith the exception of the last connection of the dead lever 16, is ofold and well known construction and arrangement in foundation brakerigging, the parts being so connected that as the piston 10 movesoutwardly the live and dead levers with the intervening link 15 willv bemoved to actuate the brakes on each travel is insured at all times andthe proper application of the brakes may be depended p n- 7 a v a Thepresent mechanism embodies a relatively short cylinder 21, "Figure 2,provided with a piston 22 behind which air is adapted to be admittedthrough pipe 23 communicating with a port 24 in the main cylinder Asuitable cook 25 is provided to close the pipe 23, if desired, atanytime. It will thus be seen that when the piston 10 exceeds itspredetermined piston travel and uncovers the port 24, air will beadmitted through the pipe 23 and move the piston 22 relatively towardsthe right against the action of a spring'26 coiled within a chamber 27.V

This piston 22 is provided with a sleeve '28 and preferably havingformed integrally therewith is a housing 30 carrying a plurality ofholding dogs 31. These dogs are generally of rectangular shape havingopenings therein through which the combined take-up and holding rod 20is adapted to pass. They are normally held in canted position, as shown,by means of a coiled spring 32 surrounding the rod.

Secured to the under side of the car body is a bracket 33 provided witha housing 34' within which is a second holding dog 35 similar to thedogs 31 and alsoheld in canted position by means of spring 36. 'Bothhousings are provided with release levers 37 of any desired type wherebywhen moved towards the right hand position they will straighten out thedogs to aplane normal to the axis of the rod 20 thus permitting the rod20 to be moved freely in either direction. p L

The operation of the present device is substantially as follows:

WVhen the normal travel of the piston 10 exceeds a p edetermined amountto properly apply the brakes the port 24 is uncovered allowing air topass through'the pipe 23 to the back of the piston 22. This forces thepiston 22 relatively towards the right, compressing the spring 26, andby reason of the dogs 31 which have a biting engagement with the rod22-the fulcrum point of the lever 16 is carried relatively towards thelight, the opposite or right hand end of the Y rod 20 passing freelythrough the dog On release of the brakes the piston 10, of

course, returns to normal position under the usual release spring andthe spring 26 will 7 force the pis on 22 back to normal posit-ion,

as shown inFigure2. The rod 20,-however,

, will be held in its new position by the dog 35, the casing 30returning with the piston 22, thereby sliding the dogs 31 along the rod20 an amount corresponding to the slack takenup. In this manner, theentire slack will be taken up and held on or during a single applicationof the brakes and if at any time the brakes should been for a relativelymanufactured and assembled. lnshort, the

invention is believed to accomplish, among others, all of the objectsand advantages herein set forth.

I claim: I

1. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a source of powerincluding piston, permanent and temporary take up and holding means, anda single rod coacting with both of said means and adapted therewith totake up and "hold allrof the excess slack caused by excess travel of thepiston on application of the brakes- 2. In an automatic slack adjuster,in combination, a source of power includinga piston, permanent andtemporary'take up and holding dogs, a single rod associated and coactingtherewith, and means for moving said rod actuatedby said source of powerthereby to take up and hold all of the excess slack caused by excesstravel of the piston on application of the brakes.

3. In an automatic slack adjuster, in combination, a source of powerincluding a piston, permanent and temporary take up and holding dogs, asingle rod associated therewith, andimeans for moving said rod actuatedby said source ofpower and adapted to take up and hold all of the excessslack caused by excess travel of the piston on application of-thebrakes, said means being ac tuated only on, excess travel of the pistonof said source of power.

4:.111 a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder and pistonhaving a port adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and apneumatically actuated slack adjusteradapted to-be operated on excesspiston travel to take up all of the excess slack on application of thebrakes, said slack adjuster-including apiston rod and a single combinedholding, take up and adjusting rod.

5. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having aport adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and slackadjustermechanism adapted-to be operated on excess piston travel to takeup all of the excess slack on application of the brakes, said slackadjuster comprising a piston. rod and a combined take upand adjustingrod telescoping therewith.

6. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having aport adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and apneumatically actuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on excesspiston travel to take up all the excess slack on application of thebrakes, said slack adjuster comprising a piston and a combined holding,take-up and adjusting rod, and alternately operating means adapted toengage said rod to move the same in one direction and to hold it againstmovement in the opposite direction.

7. Ina brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having a portadapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and a pneumaticallyactuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on excess piston travelto take up and hold all of the excess slack on application of thebrakes, said slack adjuster comprising a piston, a combined holding,take up and adjusting rod, and alternately operating means adapted toengage sa-id rod to move the same in one direc tion and hold it againstmovement in the opposite direction, said means including two sets ofdogs normally held in canted relation to said rod.

8. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having aport adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and apneumatically actuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on suchexcess piston travel to take up and hold all of the excess slack onapplication of the brakes, said slack adjuster comprising a cylinderhaving a piston and a two-part telescopic piston rod, one of said partsbeing provided With a housing having holding means therein adapted toco-act With and engage the other of said parts on movement of the pistonin one direction and-to permit relative movement of said parts onopposite movement of the said piston.

9. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having aport adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and apneumatically actuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on excesspiston travel to take up and hold all of the excess slack on applicationof the brakes, said slack ad juster including a cylinder, a piston and atwo-part telescopic piston rod, one of said parts being provided With ahousing hav ing means adapted to co-act with and engage the other ofsaid parts on one movement of the piston and to permit relative movementof said parts on opposite movement of the piston, and separate andindependently operating means adapted to coact With the telescoping partof the piston rod to prevent movement thereof on return of the pistonhead to normal position.

10. In a brake system, in combination, an air brake cylinder having aport adapted to be uncovered on excess piston travel, and apneumatically actuated slack adjuster adapted to be operated on excesspiston travel to take up and hold all of the excess slack on applicationof the brakes, said slack adjuster comprising a cylinder having a tWopart telescopic piston rod, and a piston, one of said parts beingprovided With a housing having holding means adapted to coact With andengage the other of said parts on movement of the piston and to permitrelative movement of said parts on inward movement of the piston, andseparate and independently operating holding means adapted to coact Withthe telescoping part to prevent inward movement thereof on return of thepiston head to normal position, and means for releasing both of saidholding means whereby said telescoping part of the piston rod may befreely moved in either direction. I

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of April,1922.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

